U.S. patent application number 10/940353 was filed with the patent office on 2005-08-18 for system and method for acquisition and analysis of time and location-specific data.
Invention is credited to Clough, Bradford Addison, Paulk, Greg Jesse.
Application Number | 20050183028 10/940353 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34312323 |
Filed Date | 2005-08-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050183028 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Clough, Bradford Addison ;
et al. |
August 18, 2005 |
System and method for acquisition and analysis of time and
location-specific data
Abstract
The system and method of the present invention presents a means
to access and review recorded data in a manner that supports
analysis of the condition of infrastructure systems such as sewer
pipes or other piping systems. The present invention further
provides the ability to view a particular location in a piping
system or data set at varying points in time, thereby supporting an
analysis of the deterioration and likely repair priority of a
particular section of infrastructure.
Inventors: |
Clough, Bradford Addison;
(Largo, FL) ; Paulk, Greg Jesse; (Las Vegas,
NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LEWIS AND ROCA LLP
40 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE
PHOENIX
AZ
85004
US
|
Family ID: |
34312323 |
Appl. No.: |
10/940353 |
Filed: |
September 13, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60501930 |
Sep 11, 2003 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
715/771 ;
715/704; 715/705; 715/719; 715/772; 715/839 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/06 20130101;
G06F 16/78 20190101; H04N 7/185 20130101; G06F 16/743 20190101;
E03F 7/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/771 ;
715/704; 715/705; 715/772; 715/839; 715/719 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/00; G06F
009/00; G06F 003/00; E03F 003/06; F16L 001/024 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for analyzing data comprising: acquisition means for
data representing elements of an infrastructure system; storage
means for said data into one or more databases; correlation means
for associating said data with a physical position and a point in
time; selection means for choosing a feature represented on a
graphical information system; means for selecting a media file by
an associated timeframe; means for selecting at least one of a
code/feature element; and, means for reviewing a physical state of
an item depicted by a code/feature element.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising reviewing a plurality
of media files corresponding to the same point in space at
different points in time.
3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a means to schedule,
dispatch, and track problem mitigation resources.
4. The system of claim 1 further comprising means to specify a
query list to limit a number of data points displayed to a subset
of possible data points.
5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a means to present an
overall rating indicia regarding integrity of an element of an
infrastructure system.
Description
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the full benefit and priority of
U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/501,930, filed on Sep. 11,
2003, the disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein for all
purposes.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] This invention relates to graphical systems for managing the
acquisition, storage, and presentation of video. More specifically,
one embodiment of this invention provides a graphical system that
manages the acquisition, storage and presentation of video and
correlates various graphical and logical representations of an
object over a period of one or more time frames.
[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0006] The maintenance of piping systems, sewer systems, conduit
runs, and other major infrastructure elements has been an ongoing
challenge that faces most cities and towns. Over time, installed
infrastructure systems are subject to deterioration from adverse
events such as corrosion and oxidation, stress fracture, incursion
by natural plant action (e.g. root incursion), and physical damage
from human activities such as trenching. A variety of well-known
techniques have evolved to survey the condition of major
infrastructure systems, and to allow engineers to review the
current state of a given system in order to prevent or mitigate
damage to the system.
[0007] Many municipalities perform periodic inspections of sewer
lines by instructing field inspection crews to videotape the inside
of the sewer lines and then having engineers review these video
tapes to assess the condition and defects in the sewer lines and to
recommend whatever actions are necessary to repair any defects. An
example of a pipeline data collection and display system that may
be used to obtain video footage of the interior of a sewer line is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,168, the disclosure of which is
fully incorporated herein for all purposes. In this disclosed
system, a field inspection crew positions a van FIG. 1 (11)
including the inspection equipment, close to a manhole entry (16)
of a sewer line (15) to be inspected. First, the crew backwashes
the sewer line, and then sets up the inspection equipment as shown
in FIG. 1, by placing a surface roller assembly (18) at the opening
of manhole entry (16) and placing a wind-up winch assembly (21) at
the opening of an adjacent manhole entry (17). A tow cable (22)
extending from wind-up winch assembly (21) is passed through a
manhole down roller assembly (20) and connected to a monitoring
device (14), which includes a video camera. A cable assembly (12)
coupled at one end to electronic survey equipment (43) located in
van (11), is passed down through surface roller assembly (18) and a
manhole down roller assembly (19) and coupled to an opposite end of
monitoring device (14).
[0008] Having described the physical assembly of a typical field
inspection system, one manner by which the video information is
obtained, processed, taped, reviewed, and subsequently archived
will now be described with reference to FIG. 2. As the field
inspection crew moves monitoring device (14) through the sewer
line, the video footage obtained from the video camera is fed to a
display device and monitored by an operator in van (11) (step 52).
While monitoring the video footage, the operator prepares a
handwritten logsheet identifying the suspected defects and
anomalies and their location in the sewer line (step 54). Some of
this information written on the logsheet may be entered on a
keyboard such that the system may generate and overlay graphics
showing this information on the video footage to which it pertains
(step 56). The video footage is recorded on a video tape along with
the overlaid graphics using a video cassette recorder (VCR) (step
58). Then after the field inspection crew has filmed the designated
portion of sewer line 15, it sends the video tape and the
handwritten logsheet to an engineer typically employed by the
municipality (step 60).
[0009] The engineer's job is to review the field inspection videos
supplied by the inspection crew and to recommend what action is to
be taken to repair any confirmed defects or anomalies. To perform
this task, the engineer will place the video tape in a VCR and
review the logsheet to determine whether there are any suspected
defects in the sewer line, provided of course that the logsheet is
still with its associated video tape. Then the engineer
fast-forwards, pauses, and rewinds the video tape to locate the
video footage corresponding to each suspected defect indicated on
the associated logsheet (step 62). Based upon the review of the
video tape, the engineer writes a report identifying each defect
and recommending a course of action to repair the defect (step 64).
Provided the recommended course of action can be carried out within
the municipality's budget, the municipality will accept bids from
contractors to repair the sewer line (step 66). Then after a bid is
accepted, a contractor will repair the sewer line in accordance
with the engineer's recommended course of action (step 68) and the
municipality will dispatch the field inspection crew to again video
tape the repaired sewer line so that the engineer can review the
contractor's work to ensure that the sewer line was repaired
properly (step 70). After this process is completed, the logsheet,
videotapes, and engineering reports are archived typically by
placing the paper documents within the video tape slip cover along
with the video tape and placed on a shelf (step 72).
[0010] In the past, pipe inspection was generally the
responsibility of engineers who viewed video that was recorded in
the field by the inspection crew as described above. The process of
video pipe inspection has evolved with time placing more and more
responsibility on the individual inspector that records the video
and observations. For this reason many municipalities now require
that such individuals be certified by the National Association of
Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) or some similar organization.
Although such organizations provide uniformity by defining a set of
standard observations, the number of standard observations reach in
to the tens of thousands. The hundreds of rules, variables and
modifiers further complicate the task. Therefore, what is needed is
a means for guiding the field inspector to select the appropriate
standardized inspection observation quickly and accurately.
[0011] Since the methodology described in regards to U.S. Pat. No.
4,974,168 requires an engineer to fast-forward and rewind the video
tape to find those portions within the video that show the
suspected defects listed on the logsheet, other prior art
approaches were developed to attempt to mitigate such problems. In
one such approach, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,380, the
disclosure of which is fully incorporated by reference herein for
all purposes, the video information along with representations of
logsheets are stored digitally to make subsequent access less
tedious and time consuming for the reviewing engineer. While such
digital storage and processing of video information may reduce the
time needed for the reviewing engineer to review the video
information, there is no ready means for the reviewing engineer to
easily discern the condition of a particular component of the
infrastructure system over several points in time. Therefore a need
exists to correlate video or other condition-related data with both
a state in time and physical location of a component of an
infrastructure system such as a sewer system. There is a further
need to organize and track a wide variety of data such as audio
data, textual data, graphical data, condition codes, and online
media and correlate those data sources with one or more physical
locations at one or more points in time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The system and method of the present invention presents a
means to access and review recorded data in a manner that supports
analysis of the condition of infrastructure systems such as sewer
pipes or other piping systems. The present invention further
provides the ability to view a particular location in a piping
system or data set at varying points in time, thereby supporting an
analysis of the deterioration and likely repair priority of a
particular section of infrastructure. It is an object, therefore of
the present invention to provide for viewing multiple
time-dependent representations of a physical object in an
infrastructure system. It is an additional object of the present
invention to provide for the integration and correlation of
multiple data objects with points in time and in physical space. It
is an additional object of the present invention to provide for the
automated gathering of infrastructure-related information, and
correlation of this information with physical locations and points
in time. It is an additional object of the present invention to
integrate industry standard codes and/or icons into a
computer-based interface to streamline inspection, observation,
data collection and categorization.
[0013] Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be
set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part
will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice
of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will
be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations
particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be
understood that both the foregoing general description and the
following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only
and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. Thus, the
present invention comprises a combination of features, steps, and
advantages which enable it to overcome various deficiencies of the
prior art. The various characteristics described above, as well as
other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the
art upon reading the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments of the invention, and by referring to the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] For a more detailed description of a preferred embodiment of
the present invention, reference will now be made to the
accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification, and
wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art figure of a field inspection
system for inspecting an infrastructure element such as a sewer
line;
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art flow diagram for a method of
manually collecting and reviewing fined inspection video
information;
[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention
whereby an overview of data collection, storage and review is
presented;
[0018] FIG. 4 represents one embodiment of the present invention
whereby an element on a Graphical Information System (GIS) or
schematic is being accessed via selection of a view tool icon;
[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention
whereby a cursor indicia is modified to indicate transition into a
view query mode in a GIS;
[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention
that shows a video image of a section of pipe, a selection pane for
time-related video image collections, and selected pipe features
available for viewing;
[0021] FIG. 7 displays one embodiment of the present invention
whereby a user selects a pipe, manhole or any other feature on a
GIS map and a list of video and media associated with the selected
feature is presented;
[0022] FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention
whereby a user gains access to multiple time-diverse videos to
compare original as-built video to recent damage assessment
video;
[0023] FIG. 9 displays one embodiment of the present invention
whereby a user selects a graphical depiction in a selection pane of
an element of a piping system, and a video is displayed of the
physical representation of the selected graphical depiction;
and
[0024] FIG. 10 further illustrates selection of a graphical defect
representation such as a crack and a video being displayed that
corresponds to the selected defect.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED INVENTION
[0025] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary
embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference
numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same
or like parts.
[0026] There is provided a system and method for acquisition and
analysis of time and location-specific data. Turning to FIG. 3, an
overview of a data flow of one embodiment the present invention
(300) is presented. As was described above regarding FIGS. 1 and 2,
an inspection of a physical location provides for the acquisition
and/or generation of data such as observations, defect reports or
videos of an infrastructure element (305). In the present
invention, such data is correlated with the physical location of
each item being recorded, such as a manhole location in a sewer
system, and further correlated (or associated) with the date/time
the data was collected (305). The system (300) also provides for
the transfer (315) of legacy data such as videotape or CD/DVD
libraries into the one or more databases (310). The system (300)
also provides for the input and linking of data objects (320) that
may comprise status indicators, inspection notes, observation or
classification data, or analysis results. From the databases (310)
the present invention allows the linkage (325) of data stored
within databases (310) with graphical information system (GIS)
elements such as pipe segments, valves, or manholes. In one method
of use of the present invention a user selects a feature shown on a
GIS schematic or map for review (330) (See also FIG. 4, FIG. 5). A
list of available data sources or media choices is then presented
along with state/time data properties and a graphical and/or code
(e.g. NASSCO code) representations of the physical element (e.g.
manholes, laterals, and defects) (see also FIG. 6) and the user
selects one of the media files with its associated timeframe (335).
The user may then optionally select at least one of the graphical
feature/code elements (340) to view media representation (e.g.
video) of that element at that point in time (see also FIG. 7). The
user may then review the media representation to determine the
physical state of the item depicted in the media file corresponding
to the graphical feature/code elements (345), and if the user
desires, may select a different media and timeframe (335) or may
simply select another code or feature to be viewed on the existing
media representation (340) (See also FIG. 9, FIG. 10).
Alternatively, in one embodiment of the present invention, a
plurality of media file representations is available for the user
to review, so that the same physical point in space may be reviewed
at several different points in time, thus assisting with analysis
of time-related wear, corrosion, or other defects (FIG. 8).
[0027] By way of further example, the database of the present
invention is designed to organize, track and query a wide variety
of data including text, audio, multimedia, AVI, Video-Tape, CD, DVD
and online media. Because the database is linked by a user
selectable field to existing data features of the graphical
information system (GIS), no additional data entry is required. The
user selects a Video Query tool from the toolbar and the cursor
changes to indicate that a video selection is in process. The user
then selects the pipe, manhole or any other feature on the GIS map
and a list is displayed of all video and media associated with the
selected feature. Selecting (e.g. by double clicking) any of the
media in the list will display the video and expose a graphical
representation of the pipe including manholes, laterals and defects
such as cracks, roots and deformed pipe. By selecting any point on
this pipe representation the user can view the video for that
section of pipe. The graphical representation is made up of a
series of drawing objects that represent individual piping elements
as well as all the NASCO standard defect codes.
[0028] FIG. 4 represents the a tool icon on the application toolbar
of the present invention. Further, FIG. 5 illustrates how the
selection of the video query tool by the user changes the cursor to
indicate that the video selection process has been triggered.
[0029] The present invention provides a means of creating virtual
objects that contain definable attributes that formulate inherent
characteristic of real world objects. For example the virtual
objects can describe such characteristics as size, weight, flow
rates, electrical resistance and a graphical representation of real
world objects and systems. Further the present invention provides a
means of associating these virtual objects to data, such as video,
in a way that the data can be manipulated. See FIG. 6 further
illustrates details of the process and video presentation.
[0030] In FIG. 7, the user selects a pipe, manhole or any other
feature on the GIS map and the system displays a list of all video
and media associated with the selected feature. The ability to
associate multiple media and data sources to a particular feature
allows the user to view and compare different recordings and data
sets.
[0031] As illustrated by FIG. 8, and by way of the following
scenario, because the present invention may provide for multiple
viewers, original as-built video may be compared to more recently
obtained video information to provide for damage assessment.
[0032] Consider a scenario whereby a video inspection reveals a
crack in a section of pipe located between two manholes.
Engineering selects the suspect pipe in the GIS system and finds
that there are three videos on file that correspond to the section
of suspect pipe. One media file represents the as-built state
recorded after the pipe was installed, the second represents a
previous routine inspection and a third depicts the most current
inspection data and media. Viewing the most recent video, an
engineer notices an unusual discoloration at the point of the
defect. The pipe representation indicates a right lateral just
upstream of the defect. By selecting this lateral the engineer
views the section of video for that lateral and finds that the
discoloration originates from it. The engineer then opens a second
window to compare the current video to one which was recorded five
years earlier. By selecting the same lateral the engineer can
instantly view and compare the previous state of the lateral to the
current. The video reveals no discoloration at the lateral and no
sign of weakness at the current defect. The engineer also views the
as-built video and finds no discoloration at the lateral and no
sign of weakness at the current defect. In a matter of minutes the
engineer has been able view all of the video relevant to the
current defect and determine a course of action. Simply repairing
the defect will not resolve the source of the problem. A search of
the occupational licenses issued in the past five years for the
area fed by the problem lateral returned, among others, a business
selling batteries and corrosive acids. Further investigation
uncovered acid, lead, zinc and other battery materials located in a
storm drain behind the business and supported mitigation efforts to
prevent further damage to the piping system.
[0033] Two more illustrations (FIG. 9-10) demonstrate an alternate
technique of directly accessing video and linked data by selecting
graphical representations of segments of pipe that corresponding to
the actual pipe. As the user selects different graphical segment
representations the video for that segment is displayed, allowing
straightforward analysis and navigation of the media data
space.
[0034] In one embodiment of the present invention, a mapping source
is utilized to create relationships between video images and
representations of sections of pipe. The mapping source may
originate from any number of commercially available or
computer-aided engineering or design software tools including, but
not limited to ArcView, ArcMap, Pro-E, or AutoCad. After analyzing
a representation of a system map with line segments between manhole
locations, the present invention associates one or more video
depictions of a segment with its mapped equivalent. In this manner,
the representation on a map of a segment of a pipe system, for
instance, may have associated with it multiple video depictions of
that segment, and the user is then able to gain access to views of
one or more of the videos associated with a segment through the
system map. A user, after being presented with the video depictions
that are available for a segment, may click on one or more of those
videos for review through, for instance, a display of the
video.
[0035] In any municipal infrastructure system such as a piping
system, it is desirable to be able to track, analyze, and report
known data points such as defects like cracks or other failures. In
an embodiment of the present invention, the user may perform a
query to list the data points that are associated with the
represented system (e.g. a piping system). The user has the ability
to custom tailor the query or to filter out certain data points
based on a list of specified criteria, so that the user may view
only a limited set or subset of all possible data points that
satisfy the specified criteria. For example, one query may require
that only broken pipes be displayed, and therefore defects such as
offset joints would not be presented to the user. Another query may
ask to see the offset joints only, filtering out all other
defects.
[0036] Likewise, also disclosed is a means to present an overall
rating indicia to the user of the integrity of an element of an
infrastructure system, reflecting in a summary fashion, the
relative number and severity of defects present in a particular
portion of the represented system. As one example, a user could ask
for an integrity analysis of one length of pipe in a piping system,
and the invention provides to the user an overall rating metric
based on the number, types, and severity of defects in that segment
of the piping system.
[0037] A three-dimensional data acquisition and management system
is also disclosed, whereby data is acquired and spatial and
temporal parameters are assigned to correlate to information that
relates to three-dimensional coordinates. In one embodiment, a
Global Positioning System (GPS) is integrated with the data
acquisition system, so that as data is measured and acquired, it is
assigned spatial coordinates through calibration and use of a
portable GPS unit. Likewise, playback or presentation of the three
dimensional data can be integrated to a GPS unit, so that as the
unit moves, the information depicted to a user, for instance video
on a display screen, tracks the motion of the GPS unit.
[0038] As an example, consider a robotic video gathering device
that is adapted to operate in a system of pipes. The robotic device
is configured to acquire data based on its location, possibly
through a gyroscopic or inertial instrument calibrated to location
via a GPS unit, and also monitors its position in the pipe through
techniques such as sonic measurements. As the robot moves through a
system of pipes, it records information such as a video of the
visual appearance of the piping system, and the recorded
information is correlated to position and time of the video, and
stored for later presentation and analysis. Since the location data
recorded involves three dimensional location information, the depth
of the particular display element is also revealed upon playback.
Through the integration of a GPS unit into a playback device such
as a display screen, a user could walk on ground above a piping
system, and view the system as it appears directly below him, the
display dynamically scrolling as he walks along. Also, multiple
views may be available to the user simultaneously, to see different
temporal representations of the data at the same physical location,
that is, several views of the same location at different times. In
this manner, for instance, a municipal engineer could identify
changes in a piping system as the display is traversed through the
playback system. Alternatively, the disclosed invention allows a
person wishing to mark the location of underground pipes the
ability to do so with an increased level of precision of a few
inches, compared with prior art systems with resolution limited to
several feet. Likewise, the three dimensional aspects of disclosed
invention would enable a person to accurately determine and mark
depth of the underground structures.
[0039] Another feature of the system is its ability to acquire,
recall, and manage three dimensional data representing not only of
visible elements, but any kind of telemetry including but not
limited to heat sensing, ionizing radiation sensing, vibration
sensing, infrared sensing, ultraviolet sensing, or other
electromagnetic radiation sensing. As an example, a truck utilizing
one embodiment of the disclosed invention could drive along a
system of power lines, measuring spatial and temporal data
correlated with the infrared profile of elements of the power
system. Then later, the data could be analyzed, for instance, for
elements of the system that were running at a higher operating
temperature than at a previous point in time and space, and
therefore, a technician could be dispatched to mitigate a potential
problem.
[0040] Yet another aspect of the disclosed invention is the ability
to acquire data and synchronize at varying rates of data
acquisition. In one embodiment, high speed video recording (for
instance 100-300 frames per second compared with more conventional
frame rates of 30 frames per second) could be employed on the
underground data acquisition device (or robot), so that the
underground robot could traverse the system of pipes at a high rate
of speed without losing information on a video recording (e.g. no
blurring or skipping of images). In this manner, a benefit is
achieved by enabling the mapping of a piping or other system in a
greatly reduced period of time. Through the use of a
gyro-stabilized and liquid dampened platform, such video could be
recorded with clarity in spite of potential unevenness of the base
upon which the robot traverses.
[0041] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, data
acquisition is not just taken from one data source and correlated
with spatial and temporal coordinates, but from multiple
simultaneous sensors and sources. For an example, a robot as
explained above might record a 360-degree view of the pipe as it
traversed the system, thereby eliminating the need to stop at
lateral junctions and pan a camera in the directions of the
laterals. By recording multiple angle views, such as a 360-degree
view, the need to stop and pan a camera is eliminated.
[0042] In another embodiment of the invention, the
recording/acquisition functions and the playback/display/analysis
functions are integrated in a comprehensive manner to detect,
mitigate, and manage a complex system such as a municipal pipe
route. When a potential defect is detected, the previously-acquired
data is consulted for comparisons of changes over time, optionally
with a step to acquire a current data representation. Analysis then
results in the assignment of a resource such as a technician, who
is dispatched by the disclosed invention and guided by the
disclosed invention to the source of the potential problem by
techniques such as an in-vehicle display coupled to a GPS unit. The
technician can then make an assessment or diagnosis, using the
playback features of the disclosed invention, and possibly acquire
new data and transmit the data back to a central location for
further analysis. Then, the disclosed invention provides support
functions for scheduling a mitigation effort such as an excavation
and repair. The system accepts the task, allocates resources, and
provides the tracking information to the repair crew to find the
source of the problem quickly and efficiently. The repair crew may
consult the multiple time/space views of the system in the
proximity of the defect, and make improved use of excavation
equipment to optimize the repair effort. Likewise, the disclosed
invention is not limited to analysis of piping systems, but also
allows analysis of other scenarios such as video analysis of a
local scene, and may use automatic pattern recognition techniques
to identify items of interest in the scene based on changes over
time.
[0043] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a set of
virtual object icons are designated to represent industry-standard
elements of the system. For example, in the piping industry, there
are codes for standard elements such as a "lateral right" or LR
element, that could be associated with a standard icon. The
standard virtual object icons are further associated with a set of
attributes that are useful in describing the characteristics of
that element of the system (for instance, elements of pipe could be
assigned attributes such as pitch or diameter). Then, in an
embodiment of the present invention, the standard virtual object
icons could be interconnected, and the attributes assigned to
represent a system as designed or as built. Then the disclosed
invention may be used to perform an analysis or simulation of the
designed or as-built system, and ascertain performance of the
specified system (such as determining flow rates for a proposed
design). In this manner, an object oriented design technique
commonly used in software development is applied to the design of
non-software systems, such systems not limited to piping but
representing any number of systems such as electrical distribution
systems. Put another way, an aspect of the present invention
supports a method of designing and analyzing a system with an
object oriented approach by placing properties on a set of standard
graphical virtual object icons and interconnecting them, and
running analysis and simulation on the system as designed.
[0044] While preferred embodiments of this invention have been
shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of
this invention. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only
and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the
system and apparatus are possible and are within the scope of the
invention. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the
process just described may easily have steps added, taken away, or
modified without departing from the principles of the present
invention. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to
the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims
which follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of
the subject matter of the claims.
* * * * *